"So the thing jammed," Tarras said, "and the docker crew wanted to move the truck, and somebody'd parked a can-hoist in the way—" "Probably why the truck parked short," Fala said. "And the kid said it was the truck, so the chief started yelling about moving the truck," Tarras said.
"He was pretty hot, so the kid — just got in and backed it up."
"Without a license."
"Captain," Tarras said, "the length of the truck, it had to move. Isn't a spacer working freight hasn't stepped aboard and moved a hoist a few—"
"I haven't. I don't want my crew doing it. You let the dockers do their job, you don't lay a hand on their equipment, we got a special handicap, f godssake, Chanur's got too many enemies who'd like to sue the hide off us, you understand?"
"Understood," Tarras said sullenly. "But," Fala said, "it was only cosmic bad luck the tc'a was back there—"
"Luck! Methane loads come in on oxy side all the time at Urtur, and we got tc'a going back and forth on business oxy side, and it had business which is now complicated by an offspring! We can only hope we don't get company our next trip out. Luck be damned!"
"Aye, captain."
"Captain,"Tiar said, "begging your pardon, but he's young. Haven't any of us made mistakes? ''
“He can make them on Sahern 's deck, and welcome to him. Enthusiasm is one thing. We can't afford his enthusiasm. Besides, his ship is here—"
"They didn't do him any favors, cap'n. That's their teaching? They take a kid on for an apprentice, and he's got a little of this, a little of that? I asked him stuff on ops. He knows this board real well, doesn’t 't know how it relates to the main board. That's 'Sit here and watch the colored lights, kid,' that's what they gave him "
"It's not our problem! He's not signed with us, he signed with them."
Silence from Tarras and Fala. Glum stares.
"Aye,"Tiar conceded from the bridge, not happy.
So no one was. She wasn't. Meras wasn't. But neither, one could suppose, was the tc'a.
Meanwhile Sun Ascendant was inbound, in contact with Urtur control. "To work," she said, and, in peace, composed a polite message for merchant captain Tellun Sahern, to rest in her message file.
From to Sahern's Sun Ascendant, the hand of Hilfy Chanur, to Tellun Sahern, her attention: We are pleased to report that—
No, scratch that. Sahern would find a way to take it wrong.
Meetpoint authorities, having dropped all charges against Hallan Meras, requested us to ferry him as far as Urtur where he might rejoin his ship. We will be glad to escort him to your dockside at your earliest convenience or to turn him over to your escort here if that is your wish.
FromSahern's Sun Ascendant to, the hand of Tellun Sahern, to Hilfy Chanur, her attention: We trade for a living, we don't take secret money or run without cargo. It's clear you had a motive in buying him free of the stsho. As you've surely learned by now, he has no data on our ship to give you. I doubt he could even falsify credible numbers. Chanur has made its bargains. We will not rescue you from your folly.
The message slipped into the tray in printout. It burned on the screen. Hilfy pushed the button to capture to log, took the printout and slipped it into physical file.
The message she thought of sending was: Earless bastard, I thought your reputation had hit bottom.
The message she sent was:
From to Sahern's Sun Ascendant, the hand of Hilfy Chanur, to Tellun Sahern, her attention: We require a release from apprenticeship signed by you, under Sahern seal, and we will seek passage or assignment for him elsewhere.
FromSahern's Sun Ascendant to, the hand of Tellun Sahern, to Hilfy Chanur, her attention: Too late, Chanur. We've been following the news since we entered system. We accept no legal liability for the actions of a fool we left in stsho custody and you conveyed here and let loose on Urtur docks.
You bought him. He's yours.
Although I thought your personal preferences lay outside your species.
From to Sahern's Sun Ascendant, the hand of Hilfy Chanur, to Tellun Sahern, her attention: Daughter of a nameless father, if this young man wishes to file a complaint against you for desertion in a foreign port, I will swear to particulars.
As to my personal tastes, at least I have preferences.
Possibly she had made a mistake. Temper had gotten the better of her. She should not have offered legal backing. She sat contemplating the screen, and thinking black and blacker and blackest thoughts.
"Captain?" Tiar asked from the bridge. "We got all that on log.''
"Good."
"Kid never got a fair break, captain."
"The universe doesn't guarantee fair breaks, and I don't want any apprentice under any circumstances!
Something's gone wrong with this whole business, we've got a nervous stsho on our hands and Kita is no place to take a novice. I want you to contact Narn and Padur — no, never mind. / will."
"Captain. Can I say a word?''
"I know what you're going to say, and I'm not listening."
"Captain, on behalf of the crew…"
"We're not taking any apprentice! His apprentice papers are over on a Sahern ship, they're not going to give them to Chanur, they're out to cause us whatever trouble they can, the whole radical right is looking for a Cause against Chanur, and I was a fool ever to agree to take him aboard — I thought Sahern would be reasonable, but clearly not."
She beeped off the contact, and composed another message — thought about couriering this one over to avoid public commotion and public pressure, and thought about the hazards of sending Legacy personnel alone and within reach of station police, angry merchants — or Ana-kehnandian.
No. No such chances.
From to Padur's Victory, the hand of Hilfy Chanur, to Tauhen Padur, her attention: We have advised Sahern of the presence of their apprentice crewman, Hallan Meras, on our ship. They have refused responsibility for this young man, who has been cleared of all charges which caused him to be detained by stsho authorities, and further, they have refused him access to their ship in harsh terms, preferring to recall an ancient feud with Chanur, no fault of this young man of Meras clan, a licensed spacer, who has traveled under our protection.
While Padur has no obligation, Chanur would be obliged if Padur could take this young man under its protection and possibly find a berth for him.
FromPadur's Victory to, the hand of Tauhen Padur, to Hilfy Chanur, her attention: Padur while friendly to Chanur and altogether desirous of maintaining Chanur's good will, under the circumstances of the recent accident on Chanur dock-side must regretfully decline to incur the possibility of legal liabilities under mahen law.
From to Narn's Dawnmaker, the hand of Hilfy Chanur, to Kaury Narn, her attention: We have advised Sahern of the presence of their apprentice crewman, Hallan Meras, on our ship. They have refused responsibility for this young man, who has been cleared of all charges which caused him to be detained by stsho authorities, and further, they have refused him access in harsh terms, preferring to recall an ancient feud with Chanur, no fault of this young man of Meras clan, who has traveled under our protection.